Restoring "Mr. Baldimore's 3D Schoolhouse" - Demo Now Available

Hi everyone!

I’m thrilled to share the first playable demo of “Mr. Baldimore’s 3D Schoolhouse”, the long-lost ZX Spectrum classic that I’ve been painstakingly restoring. This project has been a labor of love and a deep dive into gaming history, and while there’s still much to do, I’m excited to give you a taste of what this bizarre and unsettling game had to offer.

What’s in the Demo?

This demo recreates the first moments of the game: You collect your first notebooks, answer math problems, and—inevitably—make Mr. Baldimore very angry. The demo ends shortly after Mr. Baldimore starts chasing you, giving you a glimpse of the tension and eerie atmosphere the full game will deliver.

Challenges in Restoring the Game

Restoring a forgotten ZX Spectrum game has been both fascinating and challenging. The original code is incomplete, and many of the audio and visual elements have been lost to time. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key restoration challenges:

• Missing Sound Effects: Several sound effects from the original are either missing or only partially accurate. I’ve done my best to recreate the sounds based on documentation and ZX Spectrum limitations, but they may not be 100% faithful yet.
• Color Palette Issues: The ZX Spectrum had a notoriously limited color palette, and I’m still fine-tuning the hues to match the original’s look. Some textures and menu colours might appear slightly off from what players in the late 1980s would have seen.
• Missing Characters: In this demo, the only character from the original schoolhouse present is Mr. Baldimore himself. The full game had a variety of characters, each with unique mechanics that challenged the player in different ways.
• Incomplete Mechanics: Several gameplay elements that were central to the original game are not yet functional in this demo. These include running, the detention time after breaking 5 school rules, the items functionality, and the scoring system. These features are planned for future updates.

Despite the challenges, one thing is clear: Mr. Baldimore’s 3D Schoolhouse was an incredibly ambitious and complete game for its time. Its combination of pseudo-3D graphics, intricate mechanics, and unique atmosphere made it a standout title on the ZX Spectrum—albeit one that was lost to time.

Stay tuned for more updates as I continue to bring this forgotten classic back to life!